Brazil Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said yesterday his country would boycott FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke as a spokesman for slamming the country’s faltering organisation of the 2014 World Cup.

“The government will no longer accept the secretary general as FIFA spokesman,” Rebelo told a press conference a day after Valcke went so far as to suggest the organisers needed a “kick up the backside.”

A furious Rebelo dubbed Valcke’s comments as “impertinent,” “inappropriate” and “offensive” and said it was difficult to see how they could serve to foster co-operation between Brazil and FIFA.

Rebelo said he intended to contact FIFA president Sepp Blatter and inform him the Brazilians did not wish to engage in further discussions with Valcke. “I hope he will understand,” the minister said.

Asked if Valcke would be received were he to visit Brazil, Rebelo stated simply: “No.”

Valcke responded by dubbing Rebelo’s reaction “a bit puerile.” In a FIFA statement, he said: “If the result is that they no longer wish to speak to me and that I am no longer the person they wish to work with then I find that a little puerile. I will go to Brazil on March 12.”

FIFA have for months expressed varying degrees of concern over preparations for the first World Cup in Brazil since 1950.

But Frenchman Valcke pulled no punches on Friday when he said that although there was no danger of Brazil losing the event, he believed progress was too slow.

“I don’t understand why things are not moving. The stadiums are not on schedule any more and why are a lot of things late?” asked Valcke.

“In 2014 we will have a World Cup. The concern is nothing is made or prepared to receive so many people because the world wants to go to Brazil.

“I am sorry to say but things are not working in Brazil. We should have received these documents signed by 2007 and we are in 2012.

“You have to push yourself and just deliver this World Cup and that is what we will do.”

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